Local

A beer for the rest of us on Valentine's Day

MILWAUKIE, Ore. – A local brewery's special Valentine's Day ale isn't exactly the chocolate or strawberry infused brew you might expect.

The limited edition brew is more of the anti-romantic take on the holiday that may be suited for the broken hearts out there Thursday.

The name of the brew is "Broken Promise."

Brew master, Ben Edmunds, at Breakside Brewery came up with the idea. He swears it was not inspired by his own heartbreak, and while there are some unusual ingredients in this ale, Edmunds says his tears aren’t one of them – just a lot of hops, unexpected spice and his own anti-romantic sense of humor.

Edmunds had the challenge of coming up with a Valentine's Day-themed ale for a local event, and he really just didn't want to get all warm and fuzzy and romantic. He'd been there and done that.

He doesn't expect couples looking for a romantic experience to cozy up to the bar in the tasting room and order a couple pints of "Broken Promise," but he figured he'd give everybody a laugh and says he'd be happy to pour a glass for anyone who wants a change of pace from the standard Valentine's Day.

As he explained to future brewers in class at the bar Wednesday, brewing a beer all about love is, well, too predictable.

"We could've named it "Happy Valentine's Day Ale" or "My Dearest Ale" or something like that. But that's no fun," Edmunds said. "I thought that chocolate was played out, basically. We really wanted to stick it to Valentine's Day. That's the idea."

Edmunds calls the beer a dessert wine and something to be sipped.

Before a name was settled upon, Edmunds had to nail down the recipe that included a pound of hops per barrel and cardamom.

Asked to describe his brew, Edmunds said, like a relationship, it's complicated.

"It's that feeling you have on Valentine's Day whether you're single or in a relationship. No matter what," he said.

Breakside Brewery serves it up at its North Portland location and its tasting room in Milwaukie. It'll be serving it until it runs out – only six kegs were brewed.